Design, Engineering, and Construction of Photosynthetic Microbial Cell Factories for Renewable Solar Fuel Production

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Lindblad, P (Author) Other; Lindberg, P (Author) Other; Oliveira, P (Author) Other; Stensjo, K (Author) Other; Heidorn, T (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Ambio

Vol. 41

Pages: 163-168

ISSN: 0044-7447

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 10 Citations

Scopus - 48 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-C7C

DOI: 10.1007/s13280-012-0274-5

Abstract (EN): There is an urgent need to develop sustainable solutions to convert solar energy into energy carriers used in the society. In addition to solar cells generating electricity, there are several options to generate solar fuels. This paper outlines and discusses the design and engineering of photosynthetic microbial systems for the generation of renewable solar fuels, with a focus on cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are prokaryotic microorganisms with the same type of photosynthesis as higher plants. Native and engineered cyanobacteria have been used by us and others as model systems to examine, demonstrate, and develop photobiological H-2 production. More recently, the production of carbon-containing solar fuels like ethanol, butanol, and isoprene have been demonstrated. We are using a synthetic biology approach to develop efficient photosynthetic microbial cell factories for direct generation of biofuels from solar energy. Present progress and advances in the design, engineering, and construction of such cyanobacterial cells for the generation of a portfolio of solar fuels, e. g., hydrogen, alcohols, and isoprene, are presented and discussed. Possibilities and challenges when introducing and using synthetic biology are highlighted.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6